Page 96 of The Maxwell Brothers

“What’s wrong?”

She sat back down, tapping her iPad again and bringing up the notes app.

“I knew I’d opened the iPad for a reason. I need to check the list with stuff I still have to buy for Paisley’s birthday. I’m going to show it to her once your parents drop her off. I want everything to be perfect.”

The affection she had for my daughter slayed me.

I glanced at the list, and I had to admit half the things didn’t make sense to me, but then the itemShopping with Noracaught my attention.

“What’s that?” I asked, pointing at Nora’s name.

“Paisley said she’d love to go shopping with her mom. I said she should check with you first.”

“That’s not a problem.”

“Paisley is excited to see her.”

“It’s been a long time.” I frowned, pacing the room. “Does it bother you that she’ll be here?”

“Not at all. Nora is her mom. She’ll always be her mother. That’s a special bond.”

The truth was, Lexi had a much stronger bond with Paisley than Nora did, but she was still her mother. I was relieved that Lexi didn’t mind that Nora would be here. I knew Paisley was excited, though I wasn’t, because every time she came here, it reminded me of our failed marriage. Of my failure.

An old fear resurfaced. What if I couldn’t make things work with Lexi either?

I shook my head, feeling ridiculous. I walked back behind Lexi, bending at the waist to kiss the side of her neck. I loved smelling my shampoo and shower gel on her. Straightening up, I glanced at the list and did a double take. The first time I looked at it, I hadn’t realized how long it was, but Lexi was scrolling now.

“Does the list ever end?” I asked.

“Hey! The tenth birthday party is important.”

"Do I see the word ‘unicorn’ there?"

She swatted me away. "Hey, don't judge. Besides, you said I had free rein at organizing it."

"You do." I kissed her neck again, taking the iPad out of her hands.

“What are you doing?” she asked lazily, but she already had goose bumps on her legs. I could practically feel the anticipation coursing through her.

“Carrying on what I started before breakfast.”

She pressed her thighs together, and I knew what that meant. She was wet for me. The thought was driving me crazy.

“Please do,” she whispered, and I took her upstairs the next second.

My parents dropped off Paisley in the afternoon, and from the moment my daughter walked in the house, she barely paid me any attention.

She ran immediately to Lexi. “Grandma and Grandpa gave me some ideas for the party.”

“Okay, let’s add them to the list,” Lexi replied. She sat on the couch where I held her last night. This time, she and Paisley were sitting next to each other with their legs stretched out. Seeing them made me so damn fulfilled. It dawned on me for the first time that we were a family, and the thought used to scare me, but not anymore.

“Hi, pumpkin. Did you have fun at Grandma and Grandpa’s?”

“Yes, Daddy. I’ll tell you later. Lexi and I have important stuff to do now.”

I sat down at their feet, watching them. They both looked up at me in surprise.

"What are you doing?" Lexi asked cautiously.